Academy introduces teens to police work

Sixteen-year-old Dillon Wild now has a stronger interest in pursuing a career in law enforcement after completing Goodyear's Teen Police Academy.

Wild was one of 25 teens from across the West Valley who recently graduated from the annual program designed to introduce them to law enforcement.

"I'd always seen it as something that I could see myself doing in the future, but I was never absolutely sure about it because I didn't know how to get in or where to start," said Wild, a Goodyear resident who will be a junior at Glendale Preparatory Academy this year. "I feel a lot more familiar with it and a lot more comfortable with the hiring process, and I just feel like if I do decide to have a law-enforcement career, that I'll be much more prepared."

The two-week academy was geared toward 14- to 18-year-olds interested in a career in police work and was at Estrella Mountain Community College in Avondale. Most teens who participated were from Goodyear, Litchfield Park and Avondale, with one from Glendale.

The students learned about traffic and DUI laws, SWAT, K-9, criminal investigations, crime-scene forensics and narcotics. They also earned a CPR certification, did a mock trial at the Phoenix Municipal Court and spent a morning at the Goodyear police gun range.

Teens received certificates and plaques at a graduation ceremony.

Jared Willey, 16, a Goodyear resident who will be a senior at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, said he applied for the Goodyear program after enjoying the FBI Teen Academy a few years ago. He said he liked the gun range and learning about the task forces, particularly the auto-theft, narcotics and street-gangs task forces.

"It has exposed me to more of an idea of what I want to do," Willey said. "The task forces are really interesting. That's something I'd never heard of."

His father, David Willey, a former Phoenix police officer, commended Goodyear for investing the time and effort necessary to put on the academy for teens interested in law enforcement.

Participants paid $50 for a polo shirt, lunches, the graduation ceremony and a day trip to an Avondale bowling alley after graduation. The Goodyear Police Officers Association covered additional expenses.

The academy was led by Officers Kyle Rogers and Jason Costello, school-resource officers at Estrella Foothills and Millennium high schools, respectively. Rogers said more than 20 officers helped with the academy.

He praised the teens for their enthusiasm and dedication to the program.

"We have a lot of respect for the kids to be able to come out and take two weeks out of their summer free time, basically, to come out and to learn about law enforcement," he said. "Ninety percent of the kids in the class really have a genuine interest in law enforcement and wanted to know more about it."